Last supporting device



April 26, 1932. Y w s ASHTON 1,855,787

LAST SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1930 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM S. ASHTON,

OF WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, GOODRICH COLMIPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

ASSIGNOR TO THE B. Y., A. CORYORATION OF NEW YORK LAST SUPPORTING DEVICE Application filed August 14, 1930. Serial No. 475,162.

j in adjustably supporting a boot last during the assembling of various parts which must be associated on the last and rolled into adhering contact therewith, and is especially adapted for use in connection with the man ufacture of boots on a traveling conveyor.

The chief object of my inventionis to provide in an improved manner for` supporting a boot last so that it extends substantially in a horizontal direction from a conveyor and is so supported that it may be readily adjusted and locked in a plurality of determinate positions while boot-making operations are performed upon it.

Another object is to provide improved means for positively supporting the last in a plurality of positions so that it will not be displaced by downwardly directed forces applied to the last in the building operations.

A further object is to provide means for positively locking the last to the support.

Other objects will be apparent from an eX- amination of the drawings and following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the last jack mounted on a conveyor, the conveyor being shown in section and the last being shown in one of its positions in full lines, with portions brolren away, and in another position in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of parts of the last and jack illustrating the lastlocking and indexing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-43 of Fig. 1 showing the conveyor in elevation, parts being sectioned and broken away, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a conveyor carriage mounted to travel between guideways 2, 2 and engaged by a conveyor chain 3. Mounted on the carriage 1 is a last jack comprising a supporting bracket 4, andv an arm 5 pivoted thereto and formed with a horizontal bearing 5a in which a last-supporting member 6 is mounted. The last-supporting lbya `with the last as shown, the catch 14l and locking the position. To release the last member is provided with a tapered extension 6a adapted to lit an opening in the last. Y

VThe last support 6 is provided with a central bore in which is slidably mounted a rod 7 (see Fig. 2) formed last with an extension 8 slotted as at 8a. The end of the extension 6a of the last support is slotted and carries a cross-pin 9 to which is pivoted a detent 10 which extends through the slot 8a of the rods extension 8. The other 60 end of rod 7 is pinned to an enlarged head 11 slidably mounted in a counterbore in last support 6. A ratchet latch member 12 is pivoted at 13 to the head 11 and is located in a longitudinal slot therein and adapted to engage a catch plate 14 which is mounted on the head 11 and extends into the counterbore therein. A spring 15 holds the latch 12 and plate 14 in'engagement except when opposed 17 on the head 11. By means of the mechanism described, rod 7 may be moved longitudinally of the last-supporting member 6. On such movement in a direction to the left in Fig. 2 the detent 10 will be projected beyond 75 from its dotted and into engagement the latch 12 engaging rod 7 in this the surface of the extension 6a line position of Fig. 2,

16 is pushed to the right as viewed 1n Fig. 2, and dcpresses the latch 12, releasing it from the plate 14, and by further movement ofthe cam lever to the right the rod 7 is moved and the detent 10 is turned back indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereupon the last may be removed.

In order that the last support, journaled in the arm 5, may be locked against rotation in determinate positions to facilitate the plac 90 ing and rolling of the various pieces which make up the boot, it is formed with a circumferential groove 6b from which extend laterally a plurality of recesses 6c. A screw 18 is threaded through the journal 5fL vided with a smooth end portion which exten ds into the groove 6b. The construction is such that, as shown in Fig. 2, the last support 6 may be rotated in the journal 5EL when the screw 18 is in the groove 6", but when desired 10 at its end nearest the 55 hand-operated cam lever 16 pivoted at 70 the cam lever to the position and is prothe last support may be urged to the right to cause the screw 18 to enter one of the pockets 6C and thus lock the last support against rotation.

For supporting the arm 5 in determinate relation to the bracket 4, the bracket 4 is provided with an inclined slot 4a and its outer extremity is formed With stepped shoulders 4b and 4. Extension 5 is slotted so as to straddle the bracket 4 and is provided With a cross-pin 19 carrying a roller 20 Which is mounted in the slot 4a. The extension is so formed that a shoulder 5b thereon is adapted to rest on shoulder 4b When roller 2O is in the extreme outer position, and to rest on the shoulder 4c, to hold the-arm 5 in a higher position When the roller 2O is at its innermost position.

A cushioning device is provided on shoulder 4b and consists of a plunger' 21 backed by a spring 22 mounted in a barrel 23. The plunger 21 is shouldered so as to provide a stop against over-movement in an outward direction and a screw 24 provides means for adjusting the spring tension and allows removal of the spring and plunger.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A last jack comprising a bracket providedV With a plurality of shoulders, an arm pivoted to said bracket and adapted to be selectively supported on said shoulders at a plurality of elevations, and last-supporting means mounted on said arm.

2. Apparatus as deiined in claim 1 including cushioning means associatedvvith one of the shoulders. 3. Apparat-us as delined in claim 1 in which the last supporting means is journaled in said arm for rotation about a horizontal `axis and may be locked against rotation in a plurality of positions.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which the last-supporting means is provided with a tapered dowel -for engaging in a corresponding opening in the last, and includes means extending through said doWel and cooperating therewith .for locking the last to said supporting means.

Witness whereof I have hereunto setrny hand this lst day of August, 1930.

WILLIAM S. ASHTON. 

